Police ID 62-Year-Old Westchester Apartment Fire Victim

Dozens were displaced following the fire in Yonkers.Photo Credit: Yonkers FirefightersFirefighters from New Rochelle are offering an assist to crews battling a four-alarm blaze at a Yonkers apartment building.Photo Credit: ContributedThe fire broke out in the upper floors of the apartment complex at 1 Hawley Terrace, off Warburton Avenue, and spread through the roof.Photo Credit: Yonkers Fire DepartmentFirefighters from New Rochelle are offering an assist to crews battling a four-alarm blaze at a Yonkers apartment building.Photo Credit: Contributed

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YONKERS, N.Y. - The Yonkers Police Department have released the identity of the 62-year-old man who died in the Hawley Terrace fire on Wednesday.

At approximately 3:45 a.m. on Wednesday, firefighters were dispatched to a six-story Hawley Terrace apartment building, where there was “a substantial fire engulfing a large portion of the premises,” Yonkers Police Sgt. Dean Politopooulos said. While battling the blaze, first responders found one dead civilian, who has been identified as city resident Robert Reilly.

The fire was mostly contained to the fifth and sixth floors. Yonkers Deputy Fire Chief Thomas Fitzpatrick noted that firefighters had difficulty accessing the building and trouble with water pressure at hydrants.

The American Red Cross has set up a temporary shelter at the nearby Yonkers Police Athletic League Center on North Broadway, where volunteers are helping dozens of displaced residents. Police said that the displaced were provided with provisions and representatives from the Yonkers Office of Constituent Services and the Office of the Aging are helping assist residents and are facilitating social services.

Detectives from the Yonkers Police Fire Investigation Unit and Crime Scene Unit are currently investigating the incident, interviewing witnesses, canvassing the scene and processing forensic evidence. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Police have cautioned that due to the water and fire damage, the investigation may take several days.

Anyone with information regarding the fire can contact investigators at the Yonkers Police Detective Division at (914) 377-7724. Tips can also be sent anonymously by texting the keyword YPD plus he tip to 847411.